Pope emphasizes preaching and imitating Jesus in church leadership

Pope Francis, during a Mass for the feast of Sts. Peter and Paul, emphasized the importance of preaching and following Jesus in the Catholic Church. He urged Catholics to be disciples who constantly follow Jesus and proclaim his word, just as Sts. Peter and Paul did. The pope highlighted the need for the church to be outgoing, bringing the Gospel to all areas of life, especially those affected by poverty and marginalization. He blessed palliums for 29 new metropolitan archbishops and called on them to imitate the apostles in their ministry. Francis emphasized that preaching is essential for the church and urged Catholics to actively participate in building a church that cannot live without sharing the embrace of God's love and the joy of the Gospel.